Your help could further MMSA’s vision of a brighter STEM future for the State of Maine and the nation. Today, I ask you to support MMSA and become a part of the movement to support exciting new ways for our youth to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math.

Arts Organization Partnership Application

Project overview and significance:

The AR Girls project will develop an educational model targeted at rural girls and young women with low or no prior interest in STEM to design Augmented Reality (AR) experiences in partnership with community partners in order to communicate about their local environment, and locally relevant phenomena or events. The goals of the project are to:

To enhance girls’ awareness of, interest in and self-efficacy toward the creativity needed for science and Information Communication Technology (ICT) careers while also shifting their perceptions of the nature of science to include science communication.

To find new ways of supporting girls’ awareness, interest, and self-efficacy towards creativity in science and ICT careers and changes in perceptions of the nature of science to impact interest on science and ICT careers of teenage girls that would not normally identify with science interests.

The project will also explore whether science can be made more attractive to those with low interest by featuring aspects of science like communication (one of the 8 science and engineering practices of new science education standards for K-12) that convey social relevance and significance of science to local communities and society in general.

Why Partner?

The AR Girls project is looking for Maine-based arts organization that already provide learning opportunities for young women ages 12-16 to collaboratively implement AR Girls programs at their organization.

To ensure that each arts organization can sustain and deliver the AR Girls project after funding ends, we have devised a strategy to scale back funding and in-person support over time. In the first year of participation, each arts center will be given:

Year 1

$4000 to cover staff time for planning meetings, co-creating materials for the summer intensive and other activities listed in the sections above;

A technology kit with laptops and mobile cellular devices as well as comprehensive hands-on support from the project team to prepare for and deliver the Summer Intensive and Fall Extension.

MMSA staff will lead Summer Intensive and Fall Extension activities for the girls, with support from arts educators at your organization.

Year 2

$10,000 for project implementation

grant writing support for technology and program implementation

Continued support for art educator professional development in learning how to lead the AR Girls project.

Expectations of a Partner Arts Organization

Meet regularly with the MMSA AR Girls project manager (Gemma Scott)

Host a 2-week summer institute for the summers of 2019 and 2020

Recruit girls for participation in the program

Host after school sessions in Sept – Nov for the girls to continue the work

Provide general art supplies throughout the program

Commit a staff member to lead implementation of AR Girls in partnership with MMSA

Recruit 16 girls per year

Help recruit community professionals to work with the girls in co-designing AR Experiences